Cy Young

Young, Cy (Denton T. Young), 1867–1955, American baseball player, b. Gilmore, Ohio. He played with the Canton (Ohio) club of the Tri-State League before he pitched (1890–98) for the Cleveland Spiders in the National League. He later pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals (1899–1900) of the National League, the Boston Red Sox and its predecessor teams the Somersets and the Puritans (1901–8) of the American League, the Cleveland Naps (1909–11; now the Indians) of the American League, and the Boston Pilgrims (1911; later the Braves) of the National League. In 22 years of major league baseball he pitched in 906 games. Young, known for his excellent control and his ability to outwit batters, still holds the record for winning the most games (511), including 76 shutouts, and pitched three no-hit games. In 1904 he pitched the American League's first perfect game—no opposing batter reaching first base. He retired from active play at the age of 44 and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. The Cy Young Award has been given each year since 1967 to the best pitcher in each major league; from 1956 to 1966 one award was given for both leagues.